The Kowloon Walled City was built by the Qing government in 1847 as a garrison town and military outpost, manned by several hundred soldiers, to reinforce the region’s coastal defences. Originally the administrative office of the assistant magistrate of Kowloon, the Yamen Building is a three-hall, two-courtyard structure. It was built of grey bricks in a simple but functional design, with tiled roofs sitting on purlins supported by columns and gable walls. The middle hall served as the office, while the rear block housed the magistrate’s residence. After the Qing officials departed in 1899, the Yamen Building was used by different religious groups as a home for the aged, a home for widows and orphans, a school and a clinic, among other things. In 1987, the Hong Kong Government announced that the Kowloon Walled City was to be demolished and the site converted into an urban park. The Yamen Building was preserved and restored to stand as a reminder of the history of the Kowloon Walled City and the surrounding region.

Former Yamen Building of Kowloon Walled City, Kowloon Walled City Park